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When I watched the first video, I honestly felt like I was experiencing the same type of teaching I experienced in math class in high school-- the nature of the instruction was made to make students feel unconfident-- at times stupid.  When I listen to the Ted talk and hear someone speak about math passionately, I connect.  How we are taught-- how we experience math and how we have our students experience math is absolutely essential if we are going to enable many different types of learners to come to the table and find a place to learn and enjoy it and make it their own.  This means allowing for choice in the classroom and allowing kids to explore and make their own beauty from the subject.

I ask how many teachers are seeing the beauty of math and making these explorative changes in their classrooms so all can find the beauty in math?

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This was a great video! I like that he taught us to allow students to struggle and find the answers. Do not give them scripted rules or steps for math. Allow them to struggle with a question that is posed first and allow them to brainstorm, think, and strategize on the problems. Not knowing is the first step towards understanding. Refuse to be the answer key to students. Allow them discuss and disagree. I like the idea of saying yes to student ideas even if it's wrong and allowing for discussion and how that is more powerful for students to learn through mistakes rather than being corrected all the time. Allow students to be inquisitive.

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My biggest take away is the fact that we need to make sure that students are playing and discovering for themselves.  I like how Dan Finkle said, “We can’t afford to misuse math to create passive rule followers.”  As much as we might think math has concrete structure, it is those who question it that have lead  us to great discoveries.  We need to ensure we are offering our students the opportunities to discover for themselves.   This is done by giving them the opportunity to “Play,” as the Ted Talk pointed out.  Far too often teachers get caught up in the structure, procedure, and vocabulary that we aren’t offering students an authentic education.  When we allow students to play and discover on their own, we are allowing them to take ownership of their education.  This then has positive effects.

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One of my take-aways from the math literacy video is "I think therefore I am" I love this quote and I believe every student should know and understand this quote. Children should be thinking, doubting, questioning everything that they learn in math because this in turn just makes them better students.
Another take away is that the struggle can cause students to come alive and question. I think that struggling is not something that many teachers think they should be doing in their classroom. I think from the video that this was great to hear that the students really did question and started to enjoy it. Lastly is you don't have to know everything , when you don't know something work with your students to find an answer and that is okay.
Questions: How do we get all teachers to do this in their classroom? I believe that play needs to happen in all elementary grades, why do we not? Even 15 minutes out of the day .

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The take away for me is that we grew up with this concrete ideology of math that had very definitive yes or know black or white answers but the change in this view is what is going to keep growing the mathematical thinking of the future.
Another one is play! So many administrators are trying to discourage and take away time to play, especially in the primary years which seems so counterproductive to me! Are they not in connection with the best practices of learning? I know everyone is so concerned with test scores but if we step back and reevaluate we will see that what we take away from teachers and students is what they need to succeed, especially on tests!

So why? Why are we taking play time away from kinders? Who decided that wasn't learning or necessary to facilitate learning?

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Take Away: Lack of mathematical literacy will affect students’ lives in many ways, even without pursuing a career, in everyday life as it helps them make and understand choices such as insurance, loans for buying a house, purchases - these are ideas to help make math meaningful to older students. Quote was something like: “Fail of education that students think if they can’t find an answer in 30 seconds they are not math people”. Students need time, ability to take a risk, perseverance - yes to their ideas! Principal four - saying yes is not the same things as saying you are right.

Questions: How to combine the math curriculum, what needs to be taught and mastered, with time to play with math to encourage all students to love math.

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One takeaway that I took from this clip was the idea of saying "yes" to students ideas.  As educators, we so quickly want to correct students instead of allowing them to explore and figure it out either by theselves or through conversation with their peers.  Think how much more productive a lesson might be if students are debating and having authentic discussions about numbers and quantities instead of simply being told "no, that's not correct."  Another takeaway I took from the clip was not being the answer key, which goes along with the other point.  Letting students see the adventure in math and creating a space for constructive conversations will not only allow students to truly learn but will have them loving math too!
How can these 5 principles stay in line with CCSSM, the 8 math practices, and what is required for math from the school district?

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One takeaway I had from this is how he explained exploring your students' answers. This connected with the 3rd and 4th principle. It is important to explore answers that students bring up instead of just giving them the answer. Also to not disregard "wrong" answers they come to you with.
A question I have is what if a student brings an answer to the environment and even though you would not deem it a reasonable answer (such as 2 + 2 = 12), you don't deny it but instead bring it into the debate but then the student later gets embarrassed or mad because we knew it was wrong and didn't tell them

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One of my take-aways from this video was the idea of play! A home with blocks and puzzles that encourages play with patterns and exploration is a home that can foster math literacy. Just like a literacy rich environment where there is easy access to print! A math rich environment can have puzzles, games, and blocks and children can explore and manipulate these items! Math isn't about following a set of rules... I liked this and thought it was so interesting! But uncomfortable for me...I like following rules...
My questions are:
What if you encounter children who genuinely struggle with math concepts and sometimes no amount of math rich environment can get students to the same level of math knowledge? Is it alright if a student does not love math? Even if it is taught well? I struggle with the idea that anyone can do anything or be anything because I think it ignores our natural propensities, inclinations, and disinclinations...I know a basic amount of math but I struggle with it... however, I am quite gifted at literacy and memorization... I used to study law...my mind is more suited to the study of law than medicine or hard science...and this isn't saying I am squashing my potential, it is a fact.... so I guess I wonder what this man would say if he encountered someone for whom math was genuinely difficult for despite amazing teaching.

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After Watching the Math Literacy Videos...

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After Watching the Math Literacy Videos...

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•What was one of your take-aways.

•What questions linger?